Porto Bello - Vernon's Portrait Medals

About This Coin

Featuring a bust portrait of Admiral Edward Vernon alongside the inscription commemorating his capture of Porto Bello on November 21, 1739, these medals represent the most common and widely collected variety within the extensive Admiral Vernon medal series. Vernon's swift victory over the Spanish colonial port — achieved with just six warships against a fortified harbor defended by cannon batteries and a garrison — generated enormous public enthusiasm throughout Britain and the American colonies, where the medal-buying public snapped up commemorative pieces faster than Birmingham and London manufacturers could strike them. The Portrait medals show Vernon in naval officer's dress, typically facing left, with inscriptions identifying him by name and rank and celebrating the Porto Bello triumph with phrases such as "THE BRITISH GLORY REVIV'D" or "HE TOOK PORTO BELLO WITH SIX SHIPS ONLY." Reverse designs vary considerably across the numerous die combinations: some depict the harbor of Porto Bello with ships at anchor, others show Vernon accepting the surrender of the Spanish garrison, and still others feature abstract patriotic imagery celebrating British naval supremacy. The Adams-Chao reference catalog documents hundreds of obverse-reverse die combinations within the Vernon medal series, reflecting the intense commercial competition among manufacturers racing to satisfy public demand for commemorative souvenirs. Struck primarily in copper and brass, these medals circulated throughout the American colonies as badges of imperial loyalty and anti-Spanish patriotic sentiment, and their wide distribution makes them among the most frequently encountered colonial-era medals in the American numismatic market. Despite their relative availability, choice examples in original condition with sharp portrait detail and legible inscriptions command premiums that reflect the historical significance and visual appeal of these early mass-produced commemorative medals.